Bernice Goodspeed hallmark?

[Tika]

This is a photo of the hallmark on a sterling silver leaf design link bracelet (see below).

There is a circular Sterling Taxco Mexico sign with a thin italic F-1 (or possibly F-A) inside next to the silhouette of an eagle with "2B" (or "28") inside. Can anyone identify who this mark belongs to? Thanks.

The bracelet can be seen at

bracelet.jpg (5.9 MB)

Sorry - I am not computer-savvy enough to reduce the image size to show here!!!

[ValkyrieVixen]

It's not Goodspeed's mark. I have never seen that F-1/JF-1 style mark in the center before, it's an odd one, no clue.

[Tika]

I was told that the "B" of the "2B" (if it is B not 8), referred to Bernice Goodspeed. Is that incorrect?

[ValkyrieVixen]

That's a 28, not 2B.

[cami]

The eagle mark "28" is Bernice Goodspeeds mark- there is no question about that. Bernice did not put her "B" initial into everything that she made. I have several items of her's, and thin bracelets and chains were often only marked with a "28," "38" or "B" alone. Sometimes you will also find a "3" eagle mark with a "B" initial without any other markings. Sometimes other markings have faded over time with wear so are impossible to read. Many of these artists never knew they were going to become famous and Bernice is not the most famous of the Taxco smiths- sorry to say. Most often her stuff is overpriced when people can claim it is her's. Now Margot de Taxco, MATL, Brillanti and Spratling were in a much higher league with design than Bernice. You also must realize that much of the silverwork by these artists were cast and heated in a kiln, and were not all done by hand. Bernice did do a great job on designing original Aztec and Mayan pieces that she made- those are the themes she most aspired to being an anthropologists and tourist guide as well as a historian and writer on Mexican ancient civilizations.

I would consider anything with the "28" or "38" eagle mark to be Bernice's mark and nobody else's, especially if there are no other initials on the item. "F-1" is not an initial but more like an item number, perhaps only a few items were cast in that design, so they were marked this way. Mexican marks today for example use TC-321- a "TC" is always followed by numbers. I think looking at the piece and design in comparison to her other work will also help confirm if the item is Bernice's or not. Many people out there should have experience looking at items made by Bernice Goodspeed and other Taxco artists first hand before they can make claims on what is and what is not their work. Always go firstly by the Eagle Mark numbers, and then secondly by the initials or design. Also note that the artists world was not perfect and many artists did not do things 100% as a few marks we see on the internet. Sometimes their mark was unable to fully fit on a piece, etc...

[cami]

Your item appears to have been made in a Bernice Goodspeed mold- designed by her, not an original- I think this is what the F-1 indicates and the eagle mark indicates it was her design. It does not look like an older piece to be frank but a newer made piece, thus the F-1. There are a lot of people using molds of the Taxco artists or molding old pieces- who know what is happening in Mexico anymore.

[ValkyrieVixen]

There are 2 other artist's associated with eagle 28 according to Bille Hougart's book which isn't a complete list so their could be others that used it as well.